Seeking disability from Social Security? Read this article...!

I am tempted to quote most of the article (from today's New York Times)... here are just a few snippets:

"Steadily lengthening delays in the resolution of Social Security disability claims have left hundreds of thousands of people in a kind of purgatory, now waiting as long as three years for a decision.

Two-thirds of those who appeal an initial rejection eventually win their cases." (bolded by me)

"But in the meantime, more and more people have lost their homes, declared bankruptcy or even died while awaiting an appeals hearing...

Of the roughly 2.5 million disability applicants each year now, about two-thirds are turned down initially by state agencies, which make decisions with federal oversight based on paper records but no face-to-face interview. Most of those who are refused give up at that point or after a failed request for local reconsideration.

But of the more than 575,000 who go on to file appeals — putting them in the vast line for a hearing before a special federal judge — two-thirds eventually win a reversal."

It is genocide. Maybe not the way the news has reported it ( in other countries, but it is genocide nonetheless.

genocide - the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.

"After the Americans destroyed our village and killed many of us, we also lost our houses and have nothing to eat. However, we would have endured these miseries and even accepted them, if the Americans had not sentenced us all to death. When I saw my deformed grandson, I realized that my hopes of the future have vanished for good, different from the hopelessness of the Russian barbarism, even though at that time I lost my older son Shafiqullah. This time, however, I know we are part of the invisible genocide brought on us by America, a silence death from which I know we will not escape." (Jooma Khan of Laghman province, March 2003)

"I realized this slow, yet certain death, when I saw blood in my urine and developed severe pain in my kidneys along with breathing problems I never had before. Many of my family members started to complain from confusion and the pregnant women miscarried their babies while others gave birth to disabled infants" (Akbar Khan from Paktika province, February 2003)

Yet, how many people do you know suffer from the same problems here in the US? How many people here suffer with no medical help? No insurance? No money? We are supposed to be the richest, most advanced country in the world, yet people die here every day of the most preventable disease - POVERTY.

"we would have endured these miseries and even accepted them"

How much have we learned to accept? The loss of privacy, the lack of security and protection from "terrorists" -yet the worst terrorism we find is from our own government. We are what to do, when and how to do everything, and if we can't we are somehwo to blame. No matter how much money we make it is still not enough because our homes are foreclosed upon due to shady corporations or "eminent domain".

Minimum wage is a joke - tell me who the hell can live on that? Even if you make a decent wage 1/2 is taken in taxes. And of course you cannot apply for services through any agency because they use your gross wage not your net income - which are 2 completely different amounts.

You buy into long or short term disability in case you get hurt, but when you need it, you are denied - due to a technicality. How many people actually get disability or compensation with their first application? Even if they do, it's not enough to live on. Again you can;t get social services because you have an income.

B ut it is crunch time for the politicians and they will promise anything you want to hear - provided you support their campaign. Not one of them will promise medical insurance for everyone, or put an end to this freaking war that we should not be in anyway. Not one will promise a livable wage. But they will take anything they can get their hands on - and like spoiled children, they will take without asking.

Yes, I am angry. I am angry that we have allowed this to happen. I am angry THEY think they can get away with stealing and crushing the dreams of the american public, leaving us with nothing but a poverty stricken generation of disabled people with no where to turn. I am angry that anyone who dares to confront the powers that be, or tries to make a difference, is silenced.

I was watching the news the other day. The people in New Orleans were trying to enter the town meeting. The discussion which was supposed to be open to the public as about the demolition of low income housing. When the public tried to enter the meeting they were disbursed with chemical spray. Others already inside, were removed when they tried to object to the proceedings.

I am some kind of example of fool. I paid for my basic foolishness by way of social securtity taxes. I have been denied Three times plus appeals all the while being disabled and thinking I would eventually get my benifits. I could laugh but it isn't funny. Our government is run by CRIMINALS of the worst sort.

What will it take for some reform ? People who are hurting struggle for 2-3 years to get their disability ,and then recieve below poverty checks ?!!

The way our country treats it's elderly , single mothers , disabled and poor is atrocious. How many millions of dollars have we been helping other countries with while turning a blind eye to our own people ?

The governmental community lives lavishly , while in the next block of Washington there is one of the worst slums of all big cities. We practice dumping homeless people when they are discharged from hospitals. We let people die while waiting for assistance.

The Land of the Free ? The United States has a worse cast system than any other country ever had.

Who is on the bottom ? The disabled , the elderly , the poor and the homeless . We know who thinks they are at the top.

Our country hurts and kills more people daily through our unbelievable "system" than all the people who have lost their lives in Iraq.

It is time we start putting out our own fires and stop enabling the rest of the world.

soulight

P.S.

Thank you for highlighting the part that encourages those of us who are fighting for disability . Knowing that the percentage that eventually win is so high is quite encouraging !

Amazing, I have been living this miserable life now for 4 months only just now being denied my first time for disability. I am a Married but Seperated now due to all this, trying to support myself and 2 children waiting for the govt to allow me something that I have earned from working (2 jobs most of the time). I was diagnosed with ILD-RB, UCTD, and Maniac Depression almost 2 years ago. I was discharged from my job that I had never had a bad review, write up or anything except exceptional reviews with extremely high pay increases and position change with nothing but raves about my work abilities, all except the abscences for medical appts including open lung biospy and 1 week out of state outpatient diagnostic hospitalization. Since then I have not been able to keep a job with everything going on. My good highlight was I met up with my high school sweetheart and was married 01/19/07 and now to be seperated and headed for divorce due to the maniac depression with anxiety getting over bearing in my life. Anyways back to the article - my children and I have been looking for a place to live, (without being involved in a homeless shelter) on the income of $403. Which is what I receive from my local SRS office, but the keep my child support of $168. So due to my illnesses I have been forced to life with family, survive on $359, however, to keep receiving this income which I am greatful for, that I most attempt to get a job and go to whatever classes, testing, and appts to obtain employment. HEEELLLLOOO its like SRS isn't listening if I go back to work then I lose my case, Get doctor notes they say, okay well, now I have medical card guess what my doctors don't accept it so now I have to switch to all new doctors and go thru what they think could help for my diseases that the other doctors haven't tried yet. Blah, Blah, Blah, so now I have to play govt against govt with me in the middle more to add to the depression and anxiety like I didn't already have enough to deal with. By the way my children are 17, 14, and 4 (my 14 lives with his dad in different state because of my illnesses ((and his)). Thank you for this site and info.